Princess Charlene and Princess Stephanie absent from Monaco's royal wedding


February 2, 2014

Princess Charlene and Princess Stephanie of Monaco were some of the most notable absentees from Andrea Casiraghi and Tatiana Santo Domingo's royal wedding on Saturday night.

As the happy couple exchanged their vows for a second time in the snowy village of Gstaad, Switzerland, guests were missing from both sides of the family.

© Photo: Getty Images

Princess Charlene of Monaco

Charlene, who is married to Prince Albert and aunt to Andrea, stayed back in Monaco to carry out a royal engagement. The South African beauty brought joy to a group of youngsters when she visited the Louis II Stadium in Monte Carlo to watch them compete in a rugby tournament.Wrapped up in an all-black ensemble, Charlene chatted to the sporty children huddled around her and happily posed for pictures. The group was seen sharing jokes and shaking hands as Charlene was led around the pitch by the eager players.

© Photo: Getty Images

Charlotte Casiraghi and Prince Albert of Monaco

Over in Gstaad, her husband Prince Albert was spotted arriving to the royal wedding in the same car as his niece Charlotte Casiraghi. The new mother, who gave birth to her first child Raphäel in December, wouldn't miss her brother's wedding for the world. But her long-term partner French comedian Gad Elmaleh, who is also father to baby Raphäel, could not attend as he is in the middle of his stand-up tour.Another notable absentee from Andrea's side was his aunt and godmother Princess Stephanie. The 49-year-old had royal watchers doubting whether she would attend as she was still in Monaco carrying out a royal engagement the day before the nuptials. Stephanie, whose birthday fell on the day of the wedding, may have preferred to celebrate in a more low-key affair with her three children.

© Photo: Getty Images

Princess Stephanie of Monaco with her daughters

Both the bride and groom would have missed their fathers on their special day. Andrea's father Stefano Casiraghi passed away in 1990 after an offshore powerboat racing accident. Princess Caroline's second husband, who was 30 years old at the time, had been defending his world offshore title and was planning on retiring after the race.

Tatiana's father Julio Mario Santo Domingo Braga passed away in 2009 at the age of 52 after suffering from cancer. The bride had been going out with Andrea for five years when she heard the devastating news.

Sign up to HELLO! Daily for all the latest and best royal coverage

Email Address

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More Royalty

See more